Haunted Halloween Hallway

Thinking of hosting a Halloween party that pops? Want to have a haunted house, but think it’ll cost too much? There are many ways to provide a haunt and do it for minimum expense.

Any area in your house can be “haunted” for a party. It doesn’t need to be a whole house. It can be a single room, a garage, or as I myself have done, a hallway. Kid friendly haunted house ideas are also great for adult party-goers, and the effects don’t need to cost an arm or a leg… although an arm and a leg would be good haunting effects. Making the trip a “guided tour” can help maximize the use of a smaller space. It also ensures your guests fully appreciate your haunting efforts, because you’ve made certain they’ve hit every feature.

Some classic low budget, food-based gaffs are worms (cold spaghetti in a bowl), eyeballs (peeled grapes), and guts (good old jell-o). When guests stick their hands (usually unwillingly) into any of these, the power of suggestion works well. No one loves spiders, so a hanging web loaded with fat homemade spiders and a small fan blowing on the arrangement to make it move will also serve to creep out guests. It is the “creep factor” that will make your haunting successful.

Spooky sounds are great effects. A continually playing loop of seasonally appropriate sounds is a great accompaniment to your guests’ trip through your haunted area. That being said, it is paramount that the haunted area tour guide practices spooky speech, too. All in the spirit of good, clean fun.

Since a dark area, or an area with minimal lighting, is important in planning a successful haunt, black lights, spooks in dark clothes, and appropriately black light reactive paint can lead to some great scary moments. A haunter dressed fully in black with something spooky painted in fluorescent paint that moves unexpectedly (like a hand painted spidery) or a quick turn from back-to to full front with a green skeleton face is wonderful and very effective.

Check here for several good ideas for inexpensive decorations and costumes for your Halloween party, in general, and your haunted spot, in specific. And look at our Pumpkin Archives for food ideas.

If you’re planning a Halloween party this year, do consider incorporating a haunted area. Indoors or out, the haunting can be memorable and not expensive to pull together. Classic spooky themes, darkness and the element of surprise are your biggest assets. The fun is only limited by your imagination.